Darkest Days
by Skyrocket
Summary: A young man returns to avenge his friends and to protect the one he holds most dear.


****

Darkest Days

Chapter 1

It's raining. I've always liked the rain. For some reason I find it soothing. Unfortunately, it's not helping me much now. Right now I feel like I just crawled out of a grave. Which makes sense since that's what I just did.

I lay on the ground getting soaked. Just a few moments ago I awoke to find myself in a coffin. Not a good way to wake up. Once I realized where I was I proceeded to freak out. I started screaming and clawing at the lid. I think it only took a few minutes, but finally I was back in the fresh air. God, it feels good to be out of that nightmare.

[Hey, kid. You plan on laying in the dirt all night or are you gonna get up and do what you're here to do?]

"Huh?! Who's there?!? Help me, please! I think someone just tried to bury me alive!" I sputter.

[They buried you, all right. But you weren't alive at the time. In fact, you're still dead.]

"What?! Look, I'm not in the mood for jokes!" I flare. "Where are you?"

[Take a look at the grave in front of you, kid.]

Sure enough, there's a grave in front of me. A grave with my name, Ian Grange, written on it. It's also got my birthday and…today's date? There's something else on the grave. I squint to make out the words. "Beloved son and brother. He will live on in our hearts." I blink to make sure I'm seeing this right.

"That's my grave…" I whisper.

[You got it, Einstein. Welcome back to the Land of the Living.]

That's when I notice a big, black crow sitting on my headstone looking at me. For some reason I think it's smirking at me. This can't be a good thing. "Oh, man. A bird is talking to me. But…I don't do drugs!"

[Good for you! But you better get ready, 'cause any second now you're going on a magic carpet ride!]

"What are you—"

**__**

>flash<

It's my high school graduation. As I walk down the stage, diploma in hand, I can see my family waving and cheering. Mom, dad, and my sister Alex are all beaming. Both sets of my grandparents are here to. Grandpa Grange has the camcorder and grandpa Lee has a regular camera and they're both jostling each other for the best shots. Grandma Lee and grandma Grange are waving at me excitedly.

"Oh, god! What was that?!"

[A flashback, kid. Get used to 'em.]

****

>flash<

I'm four years old. The grownups have been running around all day acting real excited. I'm not sure what's going on. All I know is that I'm at some place called a 'hospital and that I'm bored just sitting here in the 'waiting room.' 

Then my daddy comes in and takes me to another room. My grandmas are there and both are crying. I think that's weird because they don't look sad. My grandpas are both smiling and talking like they're excited. Mommy is laying in a bed looking real tired. She has something wrapped up in a pink blanket in her arms. When I get close to the bed she leans forward and shows me what it is. It's a baby. 

"Ian, I'd like you to meet your new sister. Her name is Alexandra."

[Awwwww! Now that was cute. Almost made me cry.]

****

>flash<

I'm eleven and grandpa Grange has taken me on a camping trip to Yellowstone Park. We're currently standing on a ridge looking out at the mountains.

"Look at that, Trooper," says Granada, using his special nickname for me. "I was all over the world when I fought in the Big One, but I've still never seen anyplace as beautiful as this." 

Gramps fought in World War Two and loves tell stories about those days. I love hearing them. I'm happy just to sit and listen to him for hours. That's why he started to call me "Trooper."

"Oh, God! What's happening?!"

[Get a hold of yourself, kid! You've been brought back to the World of the Living for one reason and one reason only. Justice!]

"Justice for what?" I say as I straggle to my feet.

The crow flies from my grave to the one next it. I bend down to see the name on the grave and am filled with horror. It says "Samuel Grange. Husband and father. Taken before his time."

"Grandpa?" I whisper.

[He's gone, Ian. Dead. Just like you. Just like your friends.]

"Grandpa? My friends? What—"

**__**

>flash<

I'm laughing at another of Eli's dumb jokes. So are Tina and Jill. Just another day at Pacific Beats, my grandpa's music store where we all work.

Scott, Tina's boyfriend and a buddy of Eli and I, comes in and starts in on some story about the club he and Tina went to last night. I'm not paying attention. I'm to busy stealing glances at Jill and hoping she won't notice. She's got eyes like emeralds, hair like fire and a smile that could light up all of San Diego. Eli's been bugging me to ask her

out for weeks but I can't work up the guts.

Grandpa comes in from the back room and, in his best crusty old man voice, yells at us, "Hey, am I paying you college punks to loaf or work?"

"Well, since we never do any work, I'm going to go with loaf," responds Eli as we all start to giggle.

Gramps shoots him an annoyed glance. "One of these days I'm gonna get sick of your mouth, Eli. Now, why don't you and Ian help me with some stuff in the back? Jill, Tina, it's about closing time so you start locking up out here."

Scott offers to lend a hand and follows us into the back. We've only been back there a second when we hear screams coming from the front. I charge though the door with the others close behind and find a scene of terror. Five guys with ski masks and guns are standing there.

"Anyone moves they die!" screams one as two of his friends swing around to cover us. 

"All of you in the back! Now!" orders the big one who seems to be in charge.

The gunmen hustle us into the back and line us up against a wall. "You two, go get the money," says the ringleader to two of his gang. He then turns to us. "Now if you folks cooperate we'll be gone in a few minutes and you'll all have a nice story to your grand kids."

"What?!" says another gunman. "Vic, I thought you said no witnesses!"

The one called Vic pulls off his mask reveling his ugly shaven head. "You shit, Gabe! I was just teasing 'em!" That's when Vic turns to Jill. "Still, who says we can't have some fun before we kill their asses. Hey, red, ever been with a real man?" he sneers as he reaches for Jill.

"No!" she screams.

"Shut the fuck up, whore!" yells Vic as he brutally slaps her.

That's when something in me snaps. I try to jump Jill's tormentor.

"Trooper! No!" howls Gramps.

"Ian!" shouts Tina.

Vic moves like lighting and clubs me in the head with his gun. I fall to the floor seeing stars. "Oh, so someone thinks they're Superman?" mocks Vic. "Well, lets see if you're faster than a speeding bullet!" 

Apparently I'm not, since I feel white-hot pain sear though my chest as the bullet passes though.

"No!" shouts the other gunman who's the shortest of the bunch. "You promised I'd get to kill him!" he says to Vic.

"Oh, so I did," the bald man grins.

That's when the other two gunmen charge in from the other room. "What's going on?!" asks one.

"You bastards! If my grandson dies, I'll see that all of you get the gas chamber!" promises Gramps.

"You're going to have a hard time doing that from your coffin, old man!" says the short one as he turns and pulls the trigger. Gramps falls back against the wall with a crimson spot flowering on his shirt.

The girls scream and Scott shouts, "Mr. Grange!"

"Kill you… I'll kill you. Kill...all of you…for this," I gasp.

"I don't think so, hero!" says the short one as he places the gun to my forehead. "This'll teach you to mess with me," he cackles.

"Who…are…you?" I wheeze_._

The gunman's eye open with surprise. "You don't recognize my voice?! I'm—" He stops. "No, I think I'll let you die ignorant. Enjoy hell, fucker!"

The second to last sound I hear is Jill screaming my name. The last

sound is the bang of the gun. 

Then blackness.

Chapter 2

[So, now you know.]

I fall to my knees in front of my grandfather's grave and began to cry. "Sons of bitches! I'll kill 'em!" I choke.

[That's the spirit! Now come on. You can't do anything for your grandpa and friends here. You need someplace to gather your strength for tomorrow night.]

"Tomorrow night? What happens then?"

[Vengeance!]

The crow then takes flight and some irresistible force compels me to follow.

"What are we doing here?" I ask.

[You need a place to hide from the light and prepare for your mission.]

I'm standing in the parking lot of Central High School where I graduated

four years ago. The rain is still falling and all I want to do is collapse. "But, my old school?"

[Stop worrying. Summer school is over and nobody will be coming by for days.]

"So how do I get in? The doors have to be locked."

[With this,] says my companion. That's when I notice that the crow has a key in his beak.

Sure enough, the key opens the doors and within moments the crow leads me to the set room in the back of the auditorium. I remember working here building sets for a school play when I was sixteen. 

[Here you can rest. Sleep well, Ian. For tomorrow the hunt begins.]

"Yeah, yeah, you said that already," I grumble as I crouch down in a corner. It's impossible to keep my eyes open. Quickly the blackness comes.

My dreams are a blur. Images from my past swirl like clouds. My eighth

birthday party, my first kiss, watching cartoons as a kid, helping Alex learn to ride a bike, mom and dad celebrating their twentieth anniversary, and the night at Jack Isles's party when I lost my virginity to Sara Montrose.

I see other things to. A flock of crows flying against a crimson sky, the faces of Jill, Tina, Scott, Eli and grandpa, Vic's sneer and the eyes of the man who shot me. Strangest of all, I see a skeleton cowboy who whispers to me, but I can only make out certain words like, 'justice, pain, death, love, and reunited.'

[Hey, sleepy head. Wake up. It's time.]

I pull my mind out of its haze and stand. It's time? Time for what? Oh yeah, vengeance. I see the crow sitting on top of a newspaper laying on a nearby workbench. "Wow, you brought me the morning paper. How nice."

[First of all, it's not morning. Second, this paper is a year old. It's from the morning after you died. Look at the front page. The article should provide you with some…motivation.]

The crow hopes off the paper I and can clearly see the headline now. "Six Dead in Music Store Massacre!" it screams. I grab the paper and scan the article till I find what I want. 

__

The bodies of store owner Samuel Grange, his grandson Ian Grange, Jill Blume, Eli Jessup, Tina Kosel, and Scott Lockwood where found shot to death in the back room of Pacific Beats, a music store on the boardwalk early this morning. Authorities are releasing little information at this time, but an anonymous source in the department did confirm the rumor that the two female clerks had been repeatedly sexually assaulted.

Rage explodes within me. "Those bastards! I'll kill them! I'll kill them all!" I scream.

[I like your attitude, kid. You just might be cut out from this avatar of vengeance thing after all.] 

If looks could kill that bird would be dead a thousand times over right now. "You! You're taunting me! Why did you show me this!?!"

[You had to feel the rage, boy. That rage and the thirst for justice will give you the power to do what must be done. You know, in one way you're a lot luckier than most of the others.]

"Lucky!" I explode. "How am I lucky?! I'm dead! My grandpa, Eli and Scott are dead! And those fucks raped Tina and Jill before they killed them! So you tell me, Mr. Know-it-all-bird, how in hell am I lucky?!"

[At least you didn't have to watch that scum rape those girls. You didn't have to watch them shoot Scott and Eli. That's lucky, ain't it?]

The rage hisses out like I'm a deflating balloon. For what seems like forever I just stare at the floor, letting the truth of the crow's words ring in my ears. Eventually, I manage to look at my companion again. "You said there were others. So, I'm not the first?"

[No, you're not first, Ian. There have been hundreds before you. Each was a soul who could not rest until justice was satisfied.]

"So how far back does this go?"

[Let me put it to you this way. Do you know the story of Cain and Abel?]

"Well, I'm not really religious but, yeah. That's the story of the first

murder, right?"

[Correct. Now, do you know the story of the second murder?]

"Second murder? No. What does that have to do with--" That's when the revelation hits me. "Jesus!" I gasp.

[No, that came later and was a totally different type of resurrection. Now come on, slick. It's time you got into uniform.]

"Uniform?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

[I don't kid, kid. All of those who have come before you have worn a

variation on this look for centuries.]

A glance in the mirror shows my transformation. I'm now sporting black

boots, black pants, a black sweater, and to top it off, a long black

duster stolen from the costume department. As per my companion's orders,

I've covered my face in white pancake make up and have drawn in a

strange grinning face in black. "I look like the love child of Trent

Reznor and a street mine," I complain.

[Damn smart-ass MTV kids,] grumbles the crow from his position on my

shoulder.

"Say, I recognize this make-up design from drama class. It's the mask of

irony, right?"

[Smart boy. Now, are you ready?]

I take a hard look into the mirror. What stares back is part Ian Grange,

part instrument of justice. "Yeah, I'm ready. Come on, Robin, to the

Batmobile!"

[Robin? Batmobile? It's going to a long night.]

Chapter 3

My companion leads me to an apartment building in the bad part of the city. According to him the man I'm looking for, Gabe, is on the roof. Sure enough, there's a man on the roof catching a smoke and looking out over the city. It's showtime!

"Nice night," I say as I step onto the roof.

The guy jumps and turns around. "Christ, you scared me, man! You come up

here for a smoke to?"

"Actually, I was looking for you, Gabe," I grin.

Gabe starts to look a bit nervous. "Looking for me? Do I know you?" 

I step out of the shadows and allow Gabe his first good look at me. "What

the hell are you supposed to be? Some kinda reject from the Insane Clown Posse?"

"Take a closer look, Gabe. Think back. The music store on the boardwalk.

About a year ago," I say as I stride forward.

"The music store? But, nobody--" That's when his face goes pale. "No

way! No way in hell! You're dead! I saw you!" gasps Gabe as he pulls out a gun and fires five times.

I feel the bullets hit me but nothing more. No Pain. Nothing. Bitch'en!

"I was dead, Gabe. And now I'm not. Isn't life funny?" With that, I lunge

forward, knocking Gabe's gun away with one hand and grabbing him with the

other.

"Let go of me, freak!" he screams as I drag him to the edge of the roof. Holding 

on to his shirt, I hurl Gabe over the side and let him dangle.

"Are you sure you want me to let go? It's seven floors strait down."

"Don't drop me! Please don't drop me!"

"Why not, Gabe?! You are part of the reason I'm dead. Why my grandpa,

Tina, Scott, Eli and Jill are dead! And speaking of the girls, did you take your turn with them, Gabe?! Was one of the last things those girls had to feel before they died your filthy touch?!"

"No! I swear! I never touched the girls!"

"Really?" I say.

I look long and hard into Gabe's eyes and know he's lying. He knows it to. He also knows that nothing he can say will keep him from killing him. "What are you?" he whispers.

I lean down to where Gabe and I are nose-to-nose. "I'm Batman!" I hiss.

That's when I let go. A short scream and a thud later and the first part of my mission is over.

"Whoa, killer brain spray!" I remark to my companion as I bend down to

look at Gabe's body broken on the sidewalk. Some of his blood has splattered to form a design that looks eerily like a crow. If that's a coincidence, I'm a Chinese jet pilot. 

[Nice work, kid. One down and four to go. And speaking of go, I think you

should hustle. The cops will be on their way soon.]

The bird's right. I need to be gone PDQ. That's when I hear the revving of a motorcycle from the intersection down the street. There's a guy on a big, black Harley waiting for the light to change. I think just found my ride.

[What is it with you guys?! Does being brought back from the dead give all of you the urge to steal motorcycles?!]

"Bitch, bitch, bitch," I retort as the bike races down a street. "I didn't hurt the guy and he'll get his wheels back in a few days none the worse for ware. Now take me to another one of those filths. I feel like dispensing some justice tonight!"

["Dispensing some justice tonight!"?! Can you be any cornier?!]

"I'm dead and now I just killed a guy. Excuse me for using humor to cope."

[Whatever. Follow me, funny boy.]

The crow leads me to a worn bungalow on the outskirts of the city. This is where I'll find Dylan, number two on my little hit list. His door is locked, but again my companion has come up with a key.

As I steal inside I find a loaded .44 laying on the kitchen table. Once again the hand of contrived fate is on my side. After grabbing the gun, I follow the sounds of muffled music to the door of what I'm guessing is the bathroom. I kick in the door to find that I've caught Dylan with is his pants down. Literally. He's sitting in the bathtub

taking…a bubble bath? Oh, this is rich. 

"Who the fuck?!" he yells.

"Please don't stand up on my account," I say brandishing the .44. " I mean it. I really don't want to see what you're packing under those bubbles."

Dylan shoots me a look that says he might try to jump me, but he wisely decides not to. "Okay, man, what do you want? Money? Drugs? I'm sure we can work something out."

It's than that I notice where the music is coming from. There's a radio sitting on the toilet blaring some heavy metal song. That gives me a nasty idea. I grab the radio and hold it over the bath water. "Yeah, Dylan, maybe we can work something out."

"Watch it, you loon! You drop that and I'm dead!"

"Now wouldn't that just be an American tragedy?" I grin. "Here's the deal, Dylan. You answer one question, just this one question, right and I'll let you live."

"You're nuts! No way am I—" starts the thug.

He stops when I put the gun two inches from his nose. "You can play or you can go to final jeopardy right now!"

After a second, Dylan nods. "Okay, ask your damn question."

"What was the first name of the doctor on _Star Trek_?"

"_Star Trek_?! What the fuck kinda question is--" starts Dylan.

"Tick tock, tick tock," I say swinging the radio back and forth.

"Oh god! I know this! I know this!" the man in the tub mutters. "Leonard! It's Leonard!" 

"Correct! Now, let's tell our contestant what he won!" Slipping into my best TV 

announcer voice I say, "Well, Monty, our contestant has won an all expenses paid trip to beautiful Hell provided by ac/dc current and San Diego Electric!"

__

"What?! But you said--" gasps Dylan as he tries to stand.

"Enjoy your trip and thanks for playing!" I say as I let the radio go and listen to the splash it makes. So that's what a someone being electrocuted looks like. Those Loony Toons cartoons weren't that far off the mark.

Once Dylan has stopped twitching I realize something. "Ah, crap. I

forgot to tell that piece of shit who I was. Oh well, next time."

After sketching a crow design on Dylan's mirror in toothpaste (I'm not sure where that idea come from. Call it a divine inspiration) I head outside to find my companion waiting for me on the handlebars of the bike.

[Nice work. I think you're actually enjoying this. Come on, we should be able to get one more before sunup.]

"Forget it, feather duster. I've done enough for one night. I need to take care of some business."

[You're dead! Killing these asses is your only business!]

"Says you! I'll see you back at the school." With that, I hop onto the bike and head into the night.

****

Chapter Four

I thunder down the highway with only one thought on my mind. Home. I have to see my family one last time.

****

>flash<

It's a few weeks before my death and I'm home on a break from college. Mom and dad are visiting mom's parents in Florida leaving me to watch the house and Alex. 

I'm just sitting back watching Leno when the front door flies open and someone charges up the stairs. I head upstairs to find Alex in her room crying. "What happened? I thought you were spending the night at Beth's house," I say.

"We had a fight and I came home early. Is that okay with you?" she grumbles though her tears.

My big brother-sense is going off like crazy, so I know this wasn't just a fight with a friend. "Cut the B.S., Alex. You've never been able to lie to me before so don't try it now. Now what's really going on?"

She shoots me an icy look. That fact that I can tell when she lies has always driven her nuts. "Okay, I wasn't at Beth's. I was out on a date with Randy Jordan."

Ah, now I see why she was keeping the date a secret. Randy is some guy Alex has taken a shine to. Mom and dad feel otherwise. They met him once and the punk mouthed off to dad and got his ass tossed out of the house. Mom and dad told Alex never to see him again and she went ballistic. 

"Great, mom and dad are just going to love this!" I sigh. "So why are you crying?"

"Well, after we ate he said he knew this place that had a great view of the city. So we drove up there--"

"Alex, are you saying this fuck tried to rape you?!"

"No! He did not try to rape me! We were just talking and then he started

to touch me and I told him to stop. But he wouldn't so I got out of the car and--"

"That shit! Where's my bat?! I'm going to teach that little toad a

lesson!"

And then I'm back in the real world. "Whoa, intense," I mumble. That's when I look around and notice that the neighborhood I'm in is familiar. I'm so taken by surprise that I almost drive past my goal. I stop the bike and take a long look at my house. "Home sweet home."

Lucky for me mom is a creature of habit. She still keeps the spare key hidden in that flower pot.

Once I'm inside the first stop is Alex's room. As I steal inside, I see her face and feel like I've been hit with a sledge hammer. What do I do? Wake her up? Yeah, seeing her dead brother is just what she needs. I just stand their and watch her for a moment. 

"Hey, sis. Long time no see," I whisper. "Believe it or not I'm not dead. Well, actually I am. It's a long story. Anyway, it's good to see you again."

She's still sleeping like an angel. "Hey, Alex. You remember Randy Jordan? For some reason I just was thinking about that little turd. You remember how after he tried to mess with you how I tracked him down and kicked his scrawny ass? Man, you were so pissed at me. But I was just doing my duty as a big brother. Well, when you have kids you'll understand."

What the hell am I doing? I'm so freaked over seeing Alex again I'm tongue-tied. I think I'd better get out of here before my mumblings wake her. "See you, Alex. I gotta go see mom and dad."

With that, I steal down the hall to my folks room. They're sleeping soundly as I enter. Seeing them again almost makes me cry. Maybe I should wake them and Alex up. They'd be delirious with joy. No. Somehow I know my time in the Land of the Living is limited. Letting them see me alive and then going away again would be cruel.

"Mom, dad, I'm home," I whisper. "Sorry I didn't write or call. But it's kinda hard to keep in touch when your six feet under. 

"Sorry, bad joke. Look, you guys always told me I could come to you whenever I had a problem. Well, I've got a hell of a problem now. Some bird brought me back from the dead to avenge grandpa, Jill, Eli, Tina, and Scott. It sounds whacked but it's true. I've already killed two people tonight. Me, Ian Grange, a killer.

"I know you wouldn't approve. Let the courts deal with them you'd say.

But I can't. I'm part of something bigger than that. This power that brought me back, it believes in an eye for an eye. If I ever want to rest in peace, if I ever want to see grandpa and my friends again, I have to do this.

"And to be honest, I'm glad I can do things this way. God help me, I sorta enjoyed killing those two guys. Corny as it sounds, I felt like was balancing the scales of justice.

"Look, I've gotta go. Thanks for always being there for me."

One last stop before I go. As I enter my old room the first thing I notice is that it's immaculate. I was always a fairly clean person but my room was never this spotless.

"Cripes, mom must of turned this into some sort of shrine to me," I sigh as I look around. There are loads of great memories here. My trophy from swim team, my CD collection, my bookshelf crammed with sci-fi novels. Everything brings back some image that makes me smile.

That's when I spot my class ring laying on my desk. "I thought I lost that weeks ago. No, weeks before I died. Mom must have found it and put it here." After a moments consideration I slip the ring on. A little something to remind me of home. Mom will probably wonder what happened to it. Maybe she'll see it as a sign.

As I sneak out the back door, I'm treated to an unexpected reunion. My German Shepherd, Deuce, dashes out of his dog house and comes up to me, growling slightly.

"Hey, Deuce! It's me, boy!" I say holding out my hand. At the sound of my voice, Deuce's manner brightens and he begins to wag his tail. "Good boy. Hey, Deuce. How you doing, buddy?" I smile as I reach to pet him. 

Suddenly, Deuce backs up and starts whimpering. "Hey, what's wrong, boy?" I try to get closer but he just runs back into his dog house.

[Is your little trip down memory lane over now?]

Great, the bird is back. "What's wrong with Deuce? Used to be I'd have to fight to keep him off me. Now he won't come near me."

[Your dead, Ian. Animals can sense the dead. That's why your pooch ran away. You might have been his pal once, but now you're a corpse. You smell of death.]

That's when I break inside. While I was looking though my old life I was able to hold my emotions inside, but now they flow in a stream of tears.

After a while, I pull myself together enough to speak. "I had it all, didn't I? Loving family, cool friends, a fun job, and I was doing good in school."

[Yeah, you were Mr. All-American.]

Stupid bird. "Why me? Why did that have to happen to me and the people I cared about? I was a good guy. I loved my family. I never lied. Well, almost never. I was a boy scout as a kid. I helped old ladies across the street. I always wore my seat belt. I returned library books on time. Shit, I even flossed on a regular basis."

[That's life, kid. Empires rise and fall. Relationships end. Puppies die. Bad things happen to good people. _Cheers_ get canceled.]

"Well, that really helped," I mutter, sarcastically.

[What I'm saying is that sometimes tragedies happen. But you've been given a chance, Ian. A chance to make those who stole your life, and everything you would have done with it, pay. And to make sure they can't do what that did to you to anyone else.]

I sit there contemplating the crow's words for a long while. "You're right. I have a mission and I can't waste time feeling sorry for myself."

[That's the spirit!]

"Thanks. Now let's get back to the school. Mom and dad will probably be up soon and I don't want them to see me."

Chapter Five

I see them in my dreams. Grandpa is laughing and telling me another of his war stories. I see Eli and I goofing off in our high school math class. I see Tina and Scott looking into each other's eyes that day we had a picnic in Balboa Park. But mostly, I see Jill's face smiling at me. I see the other things to. Vic's face, my killer's eyes, and the birds on the crimson sky. 

I also see the skeleton cowboy again. But this time I can understand his words. "You've done well, Ian. Continue your mission. Make the monsters pay. Then, when you are done…" he says.

"When I'm done, what?" I ask.

"You will again be with those you love, Ian. They await you on the other

side. In the light."

And that's when I wake up. "Jeez, was that for real?!"

[The cowboy doesn't lie, kid. It's night now. Are you ready?]

"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's rock."

The crow leads me and my bike to a deserted beach several miles outside the city. He says that Moe, lucky contestant number three, is here.

Sure enough, I see a guy and a girl having a little party down there. They've got 

cooler, two tanning chairs, and a few blankets spread out. The girl is taking a swim and Moe is enjoying the show from his chair. 

As I head toward them, the girl comes out of the water and she and my target start making out. I am so going to enjoy raining on this parade! They're so busy getting into heavy petting on one of the blankets that they don't even notice me sneaking up.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Professor and Mary Ann!" I chuckle.

The girl lets out a squeak of fear and rolls of Moe. "Hey, freak, get

lost! This is a private party!" growls Moe.

"Yeah, it is going to be private," I say, whipped out the .44 I took

from Dylan's house. "Just you and me, Moe."

The girls eyes are the size of dinner plates. I guess this wasn't the dream date she had planned. "Get out of here, Mary Ann. This is between your boyfriend and me." 

She doesn't need to be told twice. "Say 'Hi' to the Skipper and Ginger for me!" I call as she runs into the night.

"Bitch! Come back here!" bellows Moe.

"Forget her, Moe. You've got your own problems." With that, I pistol-whip him a good one and Moe falls to the sand like a rock. Now it's fun time!

"Moe. Hey, Moe. This is your wake up call." The creep just mumbles so I

give him a good smack "Wake up, asshole!"

"Huh?! What?! You! You miser--" That's when Moe notices what I've been

up to since his little nap. He's now buried up to his neck in sand. "You fuck! Let me out!"

"I don't think so, scum. You've got a date with the Devil and the deep blue sea!" I say looking at my wrist.

"You son of a bitch! You stole my watch!" screams Moe.

"Believe me, this fake Rolex is the least of your problems. Tell me, Moe, do you

know what's going to happen in about three hours?"

"No, enlighten me!" he spits.

"In a few hours the tide will have come in. What that means, buttercup, is that you 

and this whole stretch of beach will be under several feet of water. I hope you're good at holding your breath."

"You sick shit! You can't do thi--" I cut Moe off by slapping some duct tape I "borrowed" from the school over his mouth. Macgyver was a smart guy to always carry some of this stuff around with him.

"So, Moe, have you heard about the tragedies that befell your pals Gabe and Dylan last night?" I ask. Moe's eyes grow large. "I'll take that as a yes. And to answer your next question, yes, I killed them." I lean down close to Moe's face. "And do you want to know why I did it?" 

After a second he shakes his head slightly. "One year ago. A music store on the

boardwalk. You and your pals killed six people there. You also raped the two female clerks before you killed them." I didn't think it possible but Moe's eye's have gotten bigger. "Take a close look at me, Moe. Do you recall my face from that night?" 

His eyes grow bigger still and he screams under the tape. "Good, you do. Well, now that you know why you're going to die I think I'll take my leave. I'd love to stay and

watch you drown, but duty calls."

As I walk away I hear Moe's muffled screams. "Oh, and one last thing. I'd forget 

about anyone finding you in time. You made a good choice for your little reenactment of _The Blue Lagoon_. This beach is so off the beaten path I don't expect anyone will be by this way for," I glance at Moe's watch, "at least ten hours. Later, alligator." 

With Moe's almost silent cries behind me, I head back to the bike. On the way I pass the crow design I drew in the sand while Moe was out cold. An artist always signs his work.

There are only two of them left. The little creep who put a bullet in my brain (I'm saving him for last) and Vic. The crow says he's holed up in a house near the industrial part of town. I hope Vic baked a cake and got out the good china, 'cause company's coming!

I decide to take the direct approach and just kick the front door down. As soon as I set foot inside I feel something hit me in the chest. I look down to see an arrow sticking between two of my ribs. Vic is a few feet away with a crossbow in his hands and a shocked look on his face.

"You should have used a gun. Not that it would have helped," I say as I yank the arrow out and step toward my prey.

"You want a gun?! Eat hot lead!" cries Vic as he whips out a magnum. Again I feel the bullets impact but there is no pain. Being a…whatever I am sure has it's perks.

"Oh, spout some more tough guy clichés at me! They really turn me on!" I mock 

as I nail Vic one in the gut. Vic staggers back but then charges at me. Somehow I give him a judo flip which sends him into a wall. I guess these powers also come with a black belt in the martial arts.

For such a big guy Vic moves quick. He's on his feet nailing me with a right before I'm ready. Okay, enough games. Time to show laughing boy what's what.

As Vic tries for a left I hit him in the solar plexus. He doubles over and gets an elbow in the spine. One Jackie Chan chop to the neck and he's out.

"Thanks, Vic, that was fun. I guess you must have heard about your pals and put two and two together. And some people say monkeys can't think," I gloat as I bend down and begin to go though Vic's pockets.

"I've gotten something special planned for you, boyo. But I'm going to need to borrow your car. It's really hard for people who are out cold to ride Harleys." At last I find the keys. "Buckle up, dickless! We're going for a ride!"

[I've got to give it to you, kid, this is creative.]

"Thanks. I saw this a million times in cartoons when I was a kid."

[By the way, I checked in on Moe.]

"How are things in Davie Jones's locker?"

[A small, carnivorous fish is making a late night snack out of his eyeballs.]

"Tastes like chicken," I grin. "Okay, it's time to kill the donuts. Vic! Vic! Wake up!" 

On the ground in front of me Vic stirs. "Wha? Where am--" Like Moe it takes him a second to realize where he is. The look on his face when he sees he's tied to some railroad tracks is priceless.

"Hey, Vic. Welcome back from the land of Nod."

"You're a dead man! You don't untie me now and you're a dead man!" he 

screams.

"I'm already dead, so no big threat. Look, I'm on a schedule so let's make this quick. One year ago you and your pals robbed a music store in Pacific Beach. The little runt shot my grandpa first. Then you shot me. You asked if I was faster than a speeding bullet. Back then I wasn't. Now bullets can't hurt me. Neither can arrows as you already know. Anyway, after you put one in me shorty finished me off."

"Finished you off?! Are you on smack?! That guy is--" His eyes go large. My smile is larger. "No way! No fucking way!"

"Yes way, Vic!" I shout. "But, back to the story. I can only guess at what happened next. You probably killed Eli and Scott on the spot. Then, and this is the part that makes me really mad, you all did…things to Jill and Tina. Then you killed them. That was bad. Very bad. Now it's time to pay the piper."

"I'll tell you who the other guy is! Let me go and I'll tell you!" begs Vic.

Boy, criminals really are a cowardly lot. "I already have someone who will guide me to him. His time will come soon. Isn't that right?"

The crow sweeps in from the night and lands on my shoulder. [Yeah, that's right, 

kid.]

That's when a shrill sound pierces the night. "What was that?!" cries Vic, now on the verge of panic.

"Unless I miss my guess, that would be the late night express in from Phoenix. What do you know? They're on time for a change," I say glancing at Moe's watch.

"You can't do this! You can't do this!" bellows Vic. The sound of the train is much closer now.

"You just sit back and watch me." I can see the light from the train now.

"You fuck! You can't do this!" The engineer must be able to see what's going on because he starts to put the brakes on. Not that it'll do much good at the speed that train's moving.

"Three words, Vic; fear the Reaper!" I chant. That's when Vic and the train meet. A few seconds later, Vic is peanut butter. The crunchy kind. Crunch, crunch.

As the train rolls by, I head over to a nearby tree and carve a crow design into the bark with a pocketknife I liberated from Vic's glove compartment.

[Nice work, kid. We should have just enough time to swing by Vic's old

place, grab your bike, and get back to the school before sunup.]

"Miles to go before I sleep, no rest for the weary, and all that jazz," I mumble as my companion and I head into the night. 

****

Chapter Six

He comes to me in my dreams again. In a place of blackness, the skeleton cowboy and I meet. "You're mission is almost over, Ian. Kill that last man and you will be able to rest in peace," he says.

"And then what?" I ask.

"You know what comes next."

He's right. I do know. But I need to be sure. "Please. Show me."

The cowboy makes a gesture and a portal of light appears in the void. The light is 

blinding but I can make out five figures waving at me.Calling to me.

"Complete your mission. Avenge the innocent. Then you will be with those you love for all time," says the cowboy.

And then I'm back in the school's set room. "For all time," I whisper.

[Are you ready, Ian?]

"Yeah, I'm ready. Tonight this ends!"

I'm guided to an outlook with a fantastic view of San Diego. It's also a famous make out spot. Looks like I'm going to get the chance to sever that little runts love connection. And maybe his throat. There are no other cars around. Good. Witnesses are bad. 

As I get closer I can her a girl's voice inside the car. "No! I said no, dammit! Let go!" Oh, this just keeps getting better. I'm going to make this one hurt before I kill him. 

"All right, Mr. Grabby Hands, the party is over!" I yell as I yank the door open. That's when I get the shock of my life. And considering what I've been though in the last few days, that's saying something. Inside are my sister Alex and Randy Jordan.

"Ian?!" gasps Alex.

"The fuck is going on?!" shouts Randy.

"You! Why the hell did that bird bring me to you?!" I flare as I drag Randy out of the car.

"Oh, god! Ian, is that you?" whispers Alex.

"Let me go, asswipe!" demands Randy.

[Why do you think I brought you here, kid? Pee-Wee Herman here is mystery man number five.]

"You?! You killed me?!" I scream at Randy.

"I didn't do nothin'!" he proclaims.

"Ian? Is that really you? What's going on?" asks Alex.

Good question. I'd like to know that myself. "'Scuce me, Randy. I got family 

business," I say as I nail the little toad with a right. He falls to the ground stunned.

"Is that really you, Ian?" implores Alex.

"I heard you the first million times you asked, sis. Yeah, it's me."

Alex runs into my arms and I give her the biggest hug of her life.

"God, Ian, we all thought you were dead. That you died with grandpa and your 

friends," she gushes, tears streaming down her face.

Damn. This isn't going to be easy. "Alex," I say as I push her off and

look into her eyes, "I am dead."

"No, you're right here. I can see you. I can feel you."

"Yeah, I know. But I'm still dead. Look, I know this will be hard to believe but it's the truth. I was brought back, Alex. I was brought back to fulfill a mission."

"Brought back by what? To do what?"

"I don't know what brought me back, Alex. All I know is that it's very old and it doesn't much like guys like Randy there."

"Randy? What does he have to do with anything?!" demands Alex as she turns to 

look at the little bastard. 

Another good question. From the night the crow swoops in and lands on the roof 

of Randy's car. [Come on, Ian. Haven't you been listening?.]

I guess I haven't. "Randy is the one who killed me, Alex. He and his gang killed 

me, grandpa, Eli and Scott. They're the ones who raped Jill and Tina before they killed them to."

"No," she whispers.

I guess I'll have to prove it to her. "Wake up, jerkoff!" I say as I haul Randy to his feet.

It takes him a second to become lucent again. "Shit! No way! I killed you! I put a bullet in your mother fuckin' head!" he gasps as he gets his first good look at me.

"You did it! You killed my brother! Why!?! Why, you asshole!?!" screams

Alex though tears.

"Yeah, Randy, I'd like to know myself. What did I do to make you kill

me, my grandpa and my friends?" 

He is silent. 

"Answer me!" I shout, shaking him.

"You know damn well why I did it! You fucked with me so I fucked you

back harder!

He must mean that incident with the bat. "I can't believe it! You destroyed my life because I kicked your ass one time?!

"Hell, yeah!" glares Randy.

"You tried to rape my sister, you son of a bitch!" I scream.

"She's a whore!"

"You monster!" screeches Alex. "I can't believe I thought you'd changed! All 

that stuff you said to me! All those times you said you were sorry, it was just a lie!"

"Ain't you clever?!" spits Randy.

"Okay, maggot, I've had enough of your mouth!" I say as I grab Randy by

the neck.

[Do it, Ian! Do and you'll be with your loved ones again!]

"Ian, what are you doing?!" screams Alex.

What am I doing? I can't just kill a guy in front of my kid sister.

[Ian, listen to me. You know what has to be done. What you have to do to

rest in peace. To be with your grandpa and friends again. It's all right there in your hands, Ian. You know what to do.]

He's right. I do know. I look long and hard into Randy's bulging eyes.

"Enjoy hell, fucker." With one quick twist I snap Randy's neck. I let go and his body falls to the ground. After everything I've been though this seems almost like an anti-climax.

"Oh god, Ian. You killed him," Alex whispers.

[You're job is done, kid. Time to go.]

I look at Alex and know she doesn't understand. I can't go back to my grave with her thinking I'm a monster. "Take my hand, Alex," I say holding my hand out. She's afraid. I see the fear in her eyes as she backs away from me. 

"Please, Alex, I know you're scared but please trust me. In your heart you know I'd never hurt you. Take my hand and you'll understand it all."

It takes her several long seconds, but she does take my hand. I'm not sure what I'm doing but it feels right. As soon as our hands meet I feel my memories flooding from my mind and into Alex. The robbery, my death, waking up in a coffin, killing Gabe, Dylan, Moe and Vic. She sees and feels it all.

Once the exchange is done I look into her eyes. "Do you see now? Do you understand why I did what I did?"

Slowly she nods. We fall into what we know will be our last hug. "You have to go, don't you?"

"Yeah, I'm living on borrowed time," I say as we separate. I dig into my pockets and hand her the keys to the bike. "There's a motorcycle I, uh, borrowed from a guy little bit down the road. Could you make sure he gets it back?"

"Sure," Alex nods. "I don't want to have to say goodbye, Ian."

"It's never goodbye. I'll always be with you. I'll always watch over you. Just do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll get better taste in guys," I grin. "Oh, and don't tell mom and dad about this. They'd be pissed if they knew I came back from the dead and didn't call. 

Alex smiles back. "I promise. Goodbye, Ian. I love you"

"Goodbye, Alex. I love you to." With that my sister heads off back to her life. Back to the Land of the Living. To her credit, she only looks back once.

"So, what are we going to with Randy's body?" I ask my winged friend.

[Glad you asked. Okay, fellows, come and get it!] As soon as the words

are spoken, dozens of crows come from the night sky and began to feed on

Randy's corpse. [In a few minutes there won't be enough left of that

shit to bury in a thimble.]

"Now what?"

[I think you know.]

That's when a portal of light appears in front of me and the skeleton cowboy steps out from within it. "Your mission is complete, Ian Grange. You may now rest in peace."

I take one last look at my crow. "I just want to say that working with you was complete crap. But I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks."

[You're welcome, kid. Now scoot! There's another restless soul that needs my attention.]

"Stupid bird," I grin.

"Come, Ian. Those you have longed for eagerly await you," says the cowboy. I draw in one last breath of earth air and step into the light.

****

The End


End file.
